1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ice fishing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus having a reel within an anchored container having an audio and visual indicator to alert a fisherman of a fish taking his bait and becoming hooked on his line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several ice fishing devices have been developed to assist the fisherman in this winter sport. A hole is usually drilled or augured into the ice to gain access to the water. Many have had a tip-up flag to indicate a strike on the line. Although these previous devices have assisted the user in various ways. Some previous indicators have a whiplike action that could be unsettling if the user is too close. None have really gained for the user the advantages of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 282,272 to A. H. Eli on Jan. 21, 1986 for Conically Shaped Ice Fishing Box having an Indicator Mounted on a Removable Reel Assembly displays a rather simple bucket and rotatable shaft having a handle that can indicate the shaft turning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,878 to R. L. Hackel on Jul. 11, 1989 for an Ice Fishing Hole Cover and Tip Up shows a reel in a container. The container has a transparent top cover and the reel has a handle that tips up a flag into a vertical position when turned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,263 to W. A. Werner on Jun. 4, 1991 for a Fish Actuated Ice Fishing Signaling Device and Method of Using It describes a reel in a container. The reel has a line thereon the pulls up a flag into a vertical position when a fish pulls on the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,108 to J. R. Rinehart on Sep. 3, 1991 for a Tip-Up Fishing Rig for Ice and Open Water shows a combination ice and open water fishing rig having an inverted dish-like body of a floating material. The rig includes a reel, a heater to keep the water under the body above freezing and a flag that is tripped and raises to a vertical position.
None of the above devices constantly vies for the attention of the user as does the present invention in both an audio and an oscillating visual manner.